From Physical to Mental: How Yoga Creates Stability on and off the Mats
Create physical stability on your mat to integrate mental stability off the mat.
Take a minute—no, not a literal minute, a real minute—60 seconds to examine the contents of your mind. Notice the thoughts that are filed here. Is it tidy? Or is it a cluttered mess that looks like a whirling dervish just bombarded its way in. If you haven’t been mindful, and even sometimes when you are, there are patterns in this clutter. Notice the size, shapes, colors, textures and the locations of the clutter. Can you name the clutter- stress, anxiety, worry, boredom, fatigue, overextension, judgment, self-doubt or just plain old overthinking?
Now, notice what happens if you start to mindfully breathe. Start to increase the length of your inhales, pause, then mirror with a lengthy exhale. Notice how the breath starts to act like vacuum, tidying the spaces. Once everything is back in order, you provide yourself an opportunity to come in and declutter. You can calmly recognize the categories of clutter, and decide what you need and what you don’t. The question in this self-inquiry is how much space and strength can I create myself by removing this clutter. Once you identify what can be removed, we use yoga to help physically move it out of the mind and reshape the brain so that it will function at it fullest potential. As we clear the space, we we increase our awareness, focus, discipline, memory, empathy and mental stability. The resultant clearing of the mind is one of the greatest cause and effect relationships created by our physical practice on the mat.
To access this clarity and ultimate mental stability, try this sequence at home.
Click HERE to watch a video of the sequence– don’t forget to do both sides!
- Intention Setting
- Mountain with Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Tree Pose
- Lotus Tree Pose
- Figure 4 chair
- Figure 4 forward fold
- Flying Pigeon or
- Toe Stand
- Mountain Pose
- Chair Pose
- Boat Pose
- Shoulder stand
- Savasana
First, set an intention to flow smoothly connecting movement to the body with a focused and steadied mind. Second, start to incorporate breath into your body. Notice how changing the blood flow and intentionally moving your body with your breath collects your energy and you are able to harvest the fruits of your energy through a sharper focus and clearer lens. The more order you give to your mind, the more mental stability you create.